


The 'Lucky Bug'

by Prismidian



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, DJWifi, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-05-07 14:23:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5459666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prismidian/pseuds/Prismidian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette Dupain-Cheng is 'The Lucky Bug' known in the nearby villages as the miraculous girl with powers that saves lives. </p>
<p>Adrien Agreste is a prince with the unusual power to change into a cat, who regularly escapes his castle home to hang out with his lady while she works. </p>
<p>Both are unaware of the lives they lead when not in Marinette's home in the forest, but one day when her family needs her back in town, she must remain a seamstress, while the king holds a ball for the prince to find a wife. </p>
<p>The real story unfolds when she falls head over heels for the prince but he is still unaware of who his lady might be. </p>
<p>Please allow me to take you on the twists and turns of this little tale of how the bug fell in love with the cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Cat and His Lady

In a world where things aren't always as they seem, lived a miraculous girl and her feline companion; an odd pair the two of them made, but together they were always at their happiest.

The girl had midnight blue hair and crystal clear eyes, that sparkled with wonder and delight from the magical things she could create.

To hide her face and protect her identity, she wore a blood red mask with charcoal spots. Most just assumed she had a strong desire to become a ladybug because of it, but although she loved the lucky little bugs, that was not the reason for her wearing their colors.

The red was symbolic of the power she was gifted and the black held her respect for it; though the nickname of the 'lucky bug' that the people of the village gave her, had started to create an obsession with the colors for her apparel. So much so that she started to embrace the insect in her everyday life and had to keep it a secret from everyone she knew that she was the one everyone was talking about.

Not long after she had become a well known figure in her village, did a certain black cat start to follow her around. At first he didn't speak, but the more she invited him to sit beside her while she worked, the more he began to appear and stay and told her what he was.

"You're a shifter?!" She questioned the cat, hardly believing such a thing existed, but she couldn't very well explain why he could talk unless he was really a man.

"I have yet to grow and become a man, my father said that will come in time; But I am a boy, just about your own age and I am very handsome." The cat told her, but she was still rather skeptical.

"If you are a boy, close to my age, why don't you show me? Surely such a _handsome boy_ as you've described wouldn't hesitate to show off his looks to an impressionable girl such as myself." She teased.

He however found her teasing attractive and simple grinned back.

"I would show you my human form if you removed your mask."

"Then it will have to wait my sweet feline. I have work to do and you have to go."

"Can't I stay a little longer~? You haven't scratched behind my ears yet~." He purred and rubbed his head against her hand.

With a defeated sigh she scratched him behind the ears before she scooped him up and placed him outside on her doorstep.

"My lady~ don't leave me out here in the cold, I shall surely freeze." He whined, clawing at the door, dragging his nails into the cedar.

"Go home Chat." She droned, sewing one piece of fabric to another.

She was a dressmaker in town when she wasn't fixing the villages problems and studying her craft. She was already skilled with potions and simple spells were already becoming easier for her to master, but there was no money in saving lives, so she was a seamstress.

The cat however was no ordinary cat, or boy for that matter, but a prince, or so the story goes; he was not cured, nor could he use magic, he could merely change forms and had a habit of bad luck following him around.

His mother the queen had died, which left her son with the overprotective father the king had become. 

It was almost like a blessing to him to be gifted with the power to escape his princely life, the brilliant shade of black he became as a cat, allowed him to sneak away and indulge in whatever pastimes tickled his fancy.

As a boy, he had golden blond hair and bright green eyes, truly the prefect appearance for a prince, but hard to disguise. Anytime he tried to leave he would be caught, but as a cat, he was finally free.

He didn't know who this 'lucky bug' was, but the more time he spent around her, the more he found himself as a cat; after his daily routine, he would go look for her and everyday she would be there.

He curled up beside her as she worked, she didn't mind the company, but he always enjoyed hers. The castle was cold and lonely and her little home was always warm and inviting. His purrs mixed with the crackling fire always made her a little sleepy when the hours crept into the night, but occasionally she'd fall asleep and tell him to leave in the morning, since she in turn enjoyed his company as well.

"I'm thinking of staying in town for a while Chat." She sighed as she ran a hand across his back and over his tail.

"And why is that my lady?" He mewled, stretching out before he placed his paw on her hand, "Did I do something to offend you?" 

"No, there is a ball coming up and my family has a lot of work to do, so, I probably won't be back up here until it's over." She replied, a small frown tugged at her features but she refused to show any signs of disappointment in case he'd assume it was because of him.

"I see." He said, thinking back to when he was informed of the ball; his father said it was to find him a wife but he wanted to avoid it all together, until he realized this was his chance to meet his lady without her mask.

"I hope you enjoy the ball, maybe I will run into you there." He hinted but she had failed to get what he was hinting at.

"I doubt they'll allow cats to go, or someone like me for that matter.."

"Everyone is allowed, but I meant I'd be attending as my human form. We could finally see each others faces."

"I'm afraid you'd be disappointed if you knew who I really was, what I do for a living, it's not something-"

"I won't be disappointed with who you are if you are not with who I am."

"Chat-"

"I promise I won't tell you who I am. We can promise to keep it a secret if we meet someone we both can't live without and one day I'll see your face and you will see mine."

"Alright Chat, I've got to go to bed now, but you're welcome to stay, only for tonight."

"My lady, you've never allowed me to sleep on your bed before. Are you planning to smother me with a pillow or do you feel guilty I won't get my ears scratched for days to come?"

"I might consider both, but I'm too tired to think anymore." She yawned, putting away her things she walked to her bed and laid down.

The cat promptly hopped from her desk to the floor and followed her before he leapt onto the bed. He snuggled up under her arm as she dimmed the light and he nuzzled up to her as she hummed softly.

"Good night Chat Noir."

"Good night my lady."


	2. Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back home is always a little scary at first, but the promise of tomorrow, can provide some much needed comfort when you're unsure of what you should do today.

The next morning, she awoke to find that the cat was gone.

"Chat? Chat? Here kitty kitty." She called but oddly enough he did not answer.

 _That's curious_ she thought, rising from her bed before she walked to her full length mirror.

She had told him that she would try to attend the ball, but between work and vigilantism when would she find the time? She'd never be able to make a dress for herself in time.

As she gazed into the mirror and bit her lip as she thought, she did a quick turn around before she sighed heavily.

She thought of herself as plain and perhaps too common without her mask. If only she could go to the ball and still wear it, though, if she did she'd be breaking her promise to the cat. Whatever he had in store for her, she'd have to face it, with or without the mask; but with the mask it wouldn't seem as daunting.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she gathered her things and said goodbye to her little woodland house.

She'd be staying at her family's village home where she grew up while she worked on finishing the girls dresses. Her father was a baker so he was busy as well, but her mother welcomed her at the door when she arrived, with a big hug and a warm smile.

"Oh how I've missed you Marinette." Her mother said as she brought her in through the door.

"I missed you too maman." Marinette replied with a bright smile.

It had been weeks since she had visited her parents, her double life had taken over most of her time and she'd only check in every other day, which became a week, then into two, after a while she had forgotten how long she had lived in the woods.

"Are you staying for long?" Her mother asked, anxious to have her daughter stay longer than hours at a time.

"I plan to stay until after the ball." She told her mother, who's face changed ever so slightly as her interest peaked.

"Does that mean you will be going to the ball?" Her mother asked, to which she smiled slightly and shook her head.

"No, I don't think I'll get the chance, I'll be rather busy with-" "I have a dress for you to wear."

"You do?" She asked, shocked.

"I do, it's upstairs. You sit down and have some of the fresh bread and I will go get it."

"Ok maman." Marinette laughed as her mother hurried up the stairs.

Could she really go to the ball? She had always wondered what it was like inside those castle walls, but now this could finally be her chance.

The Cat on the other hand had always dreamed of leaving said walls, he felt trapped and alone, even when surrounded by people; but as a cat he was free.

His name was Adrien, but he loved hearing her call him Chat; the tone in which she called for him was sweet and kind, and he would give anything to just be her Chat.

He was a lovesick fool for this girl he barely knew, but at the ball he could find her and maybe she'd fall just as in love with him as he was with her.

This morning was different for him, he couldn't stay, no matter how much he wanted, he had preparations to attend to before the ball and they started early; even before the sun rose.

Practicing his dancing, and his fencing and his classes, the boy was rather tired when the mischievous little creature that granted him his powers appeared and asked for his offering.

"Cheese is the payment, don't ask me again. If you want to keep your ability you must bring me cheese." The creature said with a cheeky grin, he knew Adrien only asked for the power so he could taste freedom; so he wasn't going to let any smelly cheese get in his way.

"I'll finally get to meet my lady as myself Plagg. I still need the power to transform, but, if I could just meet her on my own, maybe I wouldn't need to change so much to be around her."

"I don't understand why you humans are so entranced with each other, the only thing that's so amazing is cheese and you don't seem to want it."

"She is amazing Plagg, everything about her. Soon we could actually be together and I won't have to hide who I am."

"Hide your face? Or that you're a prince?"

"I don't want her to only care for me because I'm a prince, but I don't know any other way to meet her. At least as a prince I could still talk to her as a cat and ask her what she thinks."

"You spend too much time thinking about this girl, you should eat more camembert. I'm sure I think about camembert more then she thinks of you." 

Well that struck a cord, the rest of the day he kept that thought in mind and was determined to impress her when he saw her at the ball, he had to, he couldn't let his lady not know how much she meant to him, even though he might only be a cat to her, she was the world to him.


	3. Going to the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going to the ball might be harder then Marinette first expected, but love always finds a way. 
> 
> But a little help from a friend can go a long way too.

When her mother came back from the upstairs, she had a simple, soft pink dress in her arms; it's elegant design was to resemble the pedals of a rose and fit like a glove.

"Oh maman, it's lovely, can I really borrow it?"

"I had planned to give it to you one day, but today seems like a good day." Her mother replied with a sweet smile.

Marinette didn't really know what to say besides thank you and to give her a big hug.

The touching moment however, was ruined by a knock at the door before a rather entitled rich girl stormed in.

"I've gone to every tailor and seamstress in this entire kingdom and none of them said they could make me a dress with gold fabric! You're the absolute last dressmaker I wanted to go to, but the others have failed me, so you better be able to do it or I will ruin you! My father buys more baked goods from your family then the whole village, you'll never have enough money to make another dress, much less feed yourselves, so you better deliver or you're going to starve."

Chloe Bourgeois was right on all accounts, her father did have the most parties in town and get togethers, but a gold dress? Marinette knew why the others couldn't fulfill the request.

"Chloe, I can't make a gold dress..but I could make one that sparkles in the light like a gold dress would."

Chloe looked Marinette up and down before she turned her gaze towards Marinette's mother and the dress in her arms.

"As long as it doesn't look like that old rag I guess a sparkly dress will have to do. It better be ready by the ball."

Marinette nodded and Chloe turned up her nose before she left.

"Wow, what was that about?"

Alya, Marinette's best friend, had overheard the yelling and soon entered the house after Chloe exited.

"Chloe wants a gold dress." Marinette sighed.

Alya quirked a brow and patted Marinette on the shoulders.

"You told her no, right?"

"I can't tell her no! We'd lose our house if we didn't have her fathers business." Marinette explained as she hung her head in shame.

She wished she could tell her no, but, she needed the money and her family needed to keep their bakery.

"Chin-up Mari, maybe the prince will fall for you and you can be a princess. Then Chloe won't be able to tell you to do anything. You could tell her what to do."

"That would be kind of fun actually. Being a princess, not telling Chloe what to do."

"That's my girl." Alya laughed before Marinette's mom tapped her daughter on the shoulder.

Marinette was a bit confused at first but once she remembered the dress she made for Alya she gasped and grabbed Alya's hands.

"I have something for you! I really hope you like it."

Alya looked rather surprised but didn't mind being lead upstairs by her best friend.

"Ta da!" Marinette cheered as she pulled a gorgeous light purple dress from a trunk.

"What do you think?" She asked, holding up the dress, it was long and touched the ground, but with heels on it wouldn't be too much trouble to walk in..

"Wow Marinette, you make the best dresses, is this so I can go to the ball? Aren't you going to the ball?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if I'd have the time to make a dress for myself, but I wanted to make sure you could go."

"Aww Marinette, you should wear it, I don't need to go, you need to meet your prince."

"My mom actually gave me the pink dress she was holding."

"So we can both go?"

"Uh huh!"

Both of them cheered and celebrated as they went to try on their dresses and Marinette's mom starting baking cookies.

The ball was soon approaching and Marinette was a bit concerned if Chole's dress would be finished in time, but once the day came, the dress was done and the girls all over town were excited for their chance to meet the prince.

Marinette and Alya were like giddy little children playing dress-up when they were lead through the halls of the castle to the main ballroom.

"Do you think he'll notice me? I mean my dress doesn't sparkle like Chloe's but-"

"Marinette, relax, you're the prettiest girl here, of course he'll notice you."

"Aww Alya."

As the two were awestruck by all the beautiful things to look at, one of the knights noticed the two and strolled over to them.

"Hey girls, are you having fun?"

Alya smirked and folded her arms over her chest as she quirked a brow at the knight.

"I don't know, is it fun to be trapped inside a suit of armor like that?"

"Alya- be nice."

The knight laughed and took off his helmet, tucking it under his arm before he gave them both a bow.

"Don't worry Marinette, I know him, his name is Nino." Alya explained, "This is Marinette." She continued, gesturing towards her friend who waved.

"Hello Nino."

"Hello Marinette." He replied, once he gave her a nod he stood back up straight and turned his gaze to Alya.

"So Nino, Marinette was wondering if she could have a dance with the prince, think you could help us?"

"Alya-?!"

"Well of course I can help! He's my best friend. Follow me, I'll take you right to him."


	4. Dancing with the Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment couldn't be any more prefect, but fate had other plans.

Adrien had become rather bored with the evening, dancing with almost every girl that asked had started to take a toll on his mood.

Where was his lady? She said she would be here, love can't possibly be so blind that if she were here he wouldn't have known.

His heart was heavy and he was losing hope, he started having to decline requests to dance simply because he couldn't continue to force a smile.

Right before he was about to give up all hope of finding her, his best friend Nino came strolling up with two girls trailing behind him.

"Your highness, might I introduce you to Lady Marinette and Lady Alya." Nino said with a bow, "I know it's been a long night, but could you spare just one more dance?"

Adrien nodded and even though he doubted this girl could be his lady, she was cute, and if nothing else agreeable.

She didn't say much when he touched her hand, but as he held her hand in his, he didn't want to let go.

A tingly kind of wave washed over him and he looked into her eyes.

"Are you enjoying the evening Marinette?" He asked with a small smile. He didn't have to fake it, but he was still unsure of why he felt this way around her.

"I- er- uh-" She stammered, visibly shaking with a huge nervous smile on her face.

He found it curious that she was so enamored by him already, normally girls would try to impress him and talk only of themselves but Marinette seemed speechless.

Trying to cut down on how awkward things between them seemed to be, Adrien glanced around the dance floor, looking for anything he could ask her about so that maybe she'd get more comfortable.

"You know I didn't realize how much ladies liked pastels."

Marinette was more confused by his statement then comfortable, but it did give her the chance to calm down and stop admiring how handsome he was.

"I guess you haven't seen the girl in the 'gold' dress then." Marinette sighed, her gaze falling to the floor.

"I prefer red." He said fairly quickly, as if the words just fell out of his open mouth, he did correct himself however, but what he said just made her heart race even more, "I like pink too, a soft pink like your dress is close enough to red for me. It's actually becoming more of a favorite of mine because of it."

Her cheeks were already flushed and she wanted to hide, but, she didn't want to stop dancing with him and she didn't know what to say, so, she took a step closer to him.

If she could get close enough, she could hide her blushing face but still dance with him, only flaw in her plan was the surprise Adrien experienced when she did so and returned the gesture.

She didn't think he would hold her closer, but he did; he almost kissed the top of her head as well, but he couldn't let himself get too carried away, even if she felt so familiar.

He remembered when his lady would cuddle him and he'd purr like the cat he was at the time, but now he had found a girl, quiet like a cat and just as warm and snuggly as he was in his animal form.

People had began to notice the closeness they shared as he lead her around the floor and once Adrien came to his senses, he took her by the hand and lead her off the floor.

"Would you like to see the gardens?" He asked a bit flustered himself as he waited for her answer.

"Yes." She replied with a small nod, she didn't know if he felt the same about her as she did for him, but for her it felt like love at first sight.

"Great, then follow me." He told her, still holding her hand but moving rather quickly through the crowd.

Alya and Nino had both been watching from where they stood on the dance floor, but once Adrien and Marinette were out of sight Alya quirked a brow.  
"Do you think we just introduced the prince to his new princess?"

"We can only hope." Nino laughed and Alya soon joined him. Who were they to know that Marinette was indeed the girl he had been searching for, but, would he still pine over his lady? Or would he be able to figure out this girl was her?

The thought that the Prince was the cat never crossed Marinette's mind, everything that seemed important to note was how kind and gentle Adrien was.

The way he gently held her hand, the way she could get lost in his striking green eyes.

She was floating on a cloud and nothing could bring her down, in fact, if she knew what thoughts he was pondering she'd probably die of happiness.

He still wondered where his lady was, but, the feeling he felt after having just met Marinette, was, well, unimaginable.

If he wasn't already so in love with his lady, he'd marry Marinette, if his father approved, he'd start courting her right away.

As they sat at a fountain, Marinette was looking up at the stars when Adrien took her hand in his again and kissed the back.

"May I say you look beautiful tonight, I've only just met you, but, I feel like I've met you before."

"I feel the same." She replied cheerfully, she didn't know if this was a confession or not, but she did know one thing, she had fallen in love with him.

With the moonlight sparkling off the top of the water, the scene was perfect for a first kiss, he started to lean towards her and she towards him, until their lips almost touched and then crash, screams and crackling flames?

Adrien quickly stood as a commotion had erupted inside the castle walls.

"What was that?" Marinette asked as she stood, the burning curtains were not a pleasant sight, nor was the sound of tables breaking and the smell of sulfur.

Adrien was about to take a guess when a knight named Kim ran out to find them and stared shouting.

"RUN!!! IT's A DRAGON!!"

Well that answered her question..

Adrien was shocked, a dragon? Now? Why now?

Marinette knew there was only one thing to do and that was to be 'Lucky Bug.' But how would she get away from the prince? She didn't want to go, but people needed her help.

"Your highness, I need to go-" She stared and a frown soon found a way onto Adrien's face.

"If you must go, please be safe, I don't want anything happening to you."

She nodded and started running from the garden to look for a place to change.

She knew it was dangerous, but she couldn't stand by and watch just so she could stay with the prince.


	5. Something more

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Could it really be so easy? Only time will tell if one mistep can haunt you for the rest of your life, but take the calm before the storm as blessing rather then a curse.

The Prince was told to go somewhere safe but Adrien had other plans; He might not have danced with his lady, but he had to help his kingdom.

Once the knights attempted to fight back against the fiery creature, their prince changed into the black cat that always accompanied The 'Lucky Bug'.

Though he couldn't do much as a cat, with his lady they could do anything, but where was she?

As he was pacing and waiting for her, the dragon was stomping through the castle and wreaking havoc.

"My Lady where are you?" He muttered under his breath before the dragon reared it's head and lit more of the castle ablaze.

Then, there was a snap and a crack and the room filled with smoke, not from the flames, but from his lady.

"Chat!" She shouted and he quickly called out to her, "I'm here my lady!"

With her polka dot dress and witches hat, she scooped up her _Chat_  and held him in her arms as she flew up to survey the best plan of attack from her broom.

The smoke was starting to clear but the dragon was still disoriented, which was the first clue to the puzzle.

"It's not a real dragon." She told him, as she watched the creature closely.

"It's not?"

"No, that spell should have worked if it was. This is a human."

"A human? Well, what do we do?"

"I don't know."

_"You don't know_ ___?!"_

"I'm working on it."

She glanced around the room and looked for something that could help her, but then she noticed the chain around the dragons neck, "That chain is cursed."

"How do you know?"

"Look at it's color."

Chat looked at the chain and what he thought was merely dark purple, had veins of violet that glowed and pulsated, "Ew."

It wasn't pretty, but that beast was being controlled, by whom was still a mystery, but at least they knew how they could stop it.

"I need you to distract it while I think of the right spell."

"Alright my lady, as you wish."

He had hoped when he saw her again they could resume their playful banter, he'd ask her what took her so long, in a teasing sort of way and she'd laugh and tell him to stop being so silly, but this was serious and nothing like he had ever faced before.

His job was simple, since being the distraction was normally what she asked him to help with, but outrunning a dragon was a little scarier than the other things she had him do in the past.

Once the dragon was on the move, chasing Chat around the castle, she quickly cast the spell on the dragon's chains.

At first she thought it didn't work but then the dragon cried out in pain and collapsed on the ground.

Chat had nearly escaped its claws when it fell, but before he could make some witty comment about it, the creature burst into thousand butterflies and disappeared.

Chat thought that was all according to plan, but his lady knew otherwise.

That spell was supposed to break the chain not make it disappear.

Before she landed, she put out the fires with a flourish of her hand and Chat quickly scampered over to her feet.

"My lady you saved the kingdom." He mused, nuzzling up against her before she bent down and picked him up.

"Yeah... we should get out of here."

He nodded, not one to protest when she was holding him in her arms, but it was short lived since she sat him back down once they were outside near the gardens.

So much had happened at once that she had to take a minute to breathe, she still hadn't fully processed that she had been dancing with the prince, and then a dragon attacked and now Chat was still trying to nuzzle her.

"My lady, what's wrong?"

"Nothing Chat, I'll see you later, ok?"

He nodded and nuzzled her one last time before he ran off and she did the same.

So many questions were swirling around in her head, but one stood out above all the rest.

Would she ever see her prince again?


	6. I love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you say the wrong thing at the wrong time. 
> 
> But other times you say something too soon, unfortunatly for Prince Adrien Ageste he said the right thing too soon, but the heartbreak may never let him say it again.

Ever since the dragon attack, Marinette tossed and turned at night.  
What was it doing here?  
Who sent it? Who was it?  
Who cursed it? What did they want?

Until finally she couldn't take it anymore, the next morning she would be going back to her home in the forest, so if she was going to sneak into the castle library, tonight was going to be the night.

Adrien too had questions that kept him up at night, one was the dragon, and the other was his lady. How could he have not seen her? She had to have been there the whole time.

"Maybe _your_ _lady_ is not the marrying type." Plagg suggested, but Adrien didn't want to hear it.

He knew she was independent, but would she really refuse to fall in love with him?

"What about that Marinette girl?" Plagg asked, yawning softly before he curled up to take a nap.

"She's nice." Adrien replied, heaving a heavy sigh before he continued. "She'd be a prefect princess, but she's not fearless. My lady fought a dragon, she didn't run home."

Plagg rolled his eyes, no matter what he tried the prince was too distracted by his love for the 'Lucky Bug.' She was impairing his judgement, so much so that when he heard something outside his room, his first thought was to investigate it, even if it was walking into a trap. He needed something to take his mind off her, so he left his room; But what he found he could scarcely believe.

There she was, unaware that she had been caught, his lady was sneaking around like a thief in the night. She had gotten lost on her way and was now wandering the halls aimlessly.

He hesitated to speak, but once he finally did he gave her quite the start.

"Thank you for defending the kingdom from that dragon. It was quite a sight to behold."

At first she didn't know it was him, but as her cheeks started to flush at the realization, he started to walk closer.

"You don't have to hide from me." He told her with a charming smile.

"I-I was looking for your library."

He figured she must be here because of the dragon, that was just like her to go looking for answers, so he gave her a nod and offered to show her the way.

She thought it was odd he didn't ask what for, but he didn't seem to care. He didn't mind showing her around the castle, in fact he kind of enjoyed it.

As she followed him she tried to remain calm, he was just being nice, she shouldn't read that much into it. But once they reached the library, he opened the door for her and bowed again.

"Merci, I-" She started, but he was quick to stop her dismissal of him.

"May I assist you?" He asked, but she was too nervous to speak.

Instead she gave him a nod before entering the room and began her search for answers.

Hours burned away like logs in the fire the prince had started, and although there was still a chill in the air from the open window, she didn't care.

She had spent the night with the prince, reading and searching until finally they were both too tired to continue.

Before she put down her last book, Adrien had stood up from his chair to stretch and soon found a spot beside her.

Sitting in front of the fire they both looked into each others eyes and she forgot where she was for a moment.

She forgot she was in her costume and imagined they were sitting by the fountain again.

The sound of the crackling fire was hard to confuse with the trickling of water, but the feelings she felt were the same.

This was the moment Adrien had waited for and as he leaned in to kiss her it was the only thing on his mind.

Their moment was cut short however as the birds outside alerted them to morning.

The night was over and the sun was just starting to rise.

It pained him not tell her how he felt, but when he went to speak she told him she had to go.

"You are welcome to stay." He offered with a small smile but she shook her head.

"No, I can't- this was a mistake."

"A mistake?" He repeated, her words cutting into him like a knife. "How was this a mistake?"

He tried not to jump to any conclusions but he loved her, what did they do that she could have thought was a mistake?

"Everything, I shouldn't have come here, I-"

"I love you."

He didn't know why he said it, maybe he thought she would want to stay, but instead she broke into tears.

"You don't know me."

"I want to know you."

She had came here for answers about why the dragon attacked but now this man who she had just met told her he loved her.

"You can't."

In that moment his heart broke, he had to let her go, she rejected him;  
There was nothing he could do.

When she returned home, she was in disbelief, she went to her desk and cradled her head in her arms.

She didn't notice Chat Noir when he snuck in, but she did notice him when he leapt up onto the desk and began nuzzling her.

"The prince has chosen a wife." He purred as she lifted her hand to pet his back.

"Oh, he has?" She replied with what seemed like little interest, lazily scratching behind his ears as she listened to him.

"Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The last thing she remembered was that Chat had said her name, then she woke up on the ground. Chat's rough tongue against her face was one of the first thing she realised before she sat up and rubbed the dirt off her face.

"Are you ok?" Chat Noir asked, rubbing his head against her hand.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, what happened?"

"You fainted."

"I did?"

He nodded and crawled into her lap.  
He had no idea that that was her, but, as she softly ran her hand over his fur it was almost like a sense of closure for him.

He would marry Marinette, he was content with this relationship he had with his lady.

He didn't need anything more from her, besides his father would have never allowed it.

Marinette was a beautiful girl from the village, there was no way his father would oppose her, so that's who he chose.


	7. I won't let it happen again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a humiliating first meeting to be endured as Marientte was presented to the king, her strengthens and weakness weighed like a possession for Adrien to acquire brought her to tears, but could Adrien say anything to make it any better? Find out in the newest chapter! Thank you to the 50 subs!

Once she was far enough away from Chat, she changed back into her normal clothes and continued on the path to her home in the village.

She didn't think anyone had seen her, so her real identity was safe, at least for now.

In time she would tell the prince her secret, but for now, she just wanted to get home.

Her parents happily welcomed her back and informed her of the great news. She wasn't sure who was happier that the prince had chosen her, her, or her parents, but they were as thrilled as she was.

If she hadn't been so ecstatic her mother and father wouldn't have been as willing to see her go, but when the royal guard came to escort her to the castle, the tears began to fall.

After they said their goodbyes, she followed the guards to the castle but could barely contain herself.

Everywhere she looked, was beautiful, even though she had been there before, everything looked so different now that it was in the light of day.

Until she saw him, the prince, Adrien Agreste standing there beside his father the king. She curtsied to the two and Adrien gave her a nod, but he didn't speak.

The kings advisor then began to explain that Marinette was a seamstress and the daughter of a baker; They then went on to list the reasons why she'd be liked by the people and that his sons choice seemed fairly reasonable.

This however was not the welcome Marinette thought she would be receiving, but she had to hold her tongue and wait for the evaluation to be over, since it wasn't really her place to voice an opinion.

Adrien could hardly bare listening to them pick her apart like she was some item the kingdom was to benefit from, but then they started to list how greatly her life would improve.

Her first meeting with the king was rather awkward and when it was finally over she almost wanted to cry.

She had not been subjected to such inspection before and even though they never touched her, the emotional torment they caused her was still enough for her to feel violated.

Alone in her room they had given her to stay, she finally broke down but when there was a knock at the door she desperately tried to dry her eyes.

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice asked softly as he opened the door, she quickly stood up from her bed and turned her back to him so he wouldn't see how red her eyes were from her crying.

"A-are you really supposed to be in here?" She asked with a watery sort of chuckle as she struggled to keep it together.

He didn't care if he was supposed to be in there or not, he just needed to hug her and comfort her if she needed it.

"I didn't know they'd be so cruel, but no, I'm not supposed to be in here, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Before today he merely assumed that she was timid and shy but the way she kept her composer while she was being humiliated and only cried when she was alone showed how much hidden strength she had.

"I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again Marinette. I promise."

He moved to walk over to stand beside her but froze when she hung her head.

She believed he was telling her the truth, but it still hurt to know she was just another pretty thing for his kingdom to collect.

Weighing her strengths and weaknesses like buying a new horse was hard to swallow, but knowing that he didn't think of her that way, sort of made up for it.

To think that in a few years this boy would be her husband was a strange thought, a simple crush was how she initially felt towards him, but this feeling she was currently experiencing felt like something more; she didn't really know what it was, but she felt safe.

Another knock at the door caused them both to jump and he quickly took a few steps away from her bed as her best friend Alya entered the room.

"Wow Marinette this is so-" Alya gabbed until she saw Adrien in Marinette's room and their now flushed faces.

"Did I interrupt something?" Alya asked.

Adrien chuckled lightly. "Uh- no, no, I was just leaving."

Alya quirked a brow as he hurried past, but as soon as he was gone she smirked at Marinette.

"I can't believe you're going to be a princess! They said I could be your lady in waiting and we had to go to training soon, but I can't believe this! Is this really happening?"

Marinette gave her friend a small smile, but the more she thought about it, the giddier she became.

The hard part was over, she was being courted, all that was left was the proper training and to marry the prince.

She believed her troubles to be over and her and Alya could celebrate the whole rest of the day.

But in the shadows danger was lurking, in the back of her mind she knew something was there, watching her, studying her, plotting against her; Her dreams might have started to come true, but through that joy, her nightmares had only just begun.


	8. You live here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lucky Bug sneaks into the library again and Chat Noir discovers a way to find out who his lady really is! 
> 
> It involves a guy sneezing tho-

That night sneaking into the library wouldn't be as difficult as it was the night before; But Marinette wondered if she should go as herself to see if the prince would be there or not, it wouldn't be strange for her to be in the castle; But what if she was caught? What if she was caught as the Lucky bug?

After a while of pacing she decided it was worth the risk and snuck out of her bedroom as the Lucky Bug.

Adrien was roaming the halls as well, as Chat Noir however, when he happened upon her and purred softly as if he didn't already know she'd be back.

"My Lady, what are you doing here?"

Marinette was visibly surprised, "Oh- there you are Chat, I was just- wait, why are you here?" 

Chat stopped in his tracks, he hadn't thought of that- as the Prince it made sense for him to be in the castle, but as a cat-

"I- uh, this is where I live."

The Lucky Bug had to stop for a second to gather her thoughts before responding to that answer.

"You live...here? When you're not lounging around with me you live in the castle? What are you? The royal mouse catcher?" She laughed, in disbelief that he'd spent so much time with her in the woods if he could be pampered in a castle like this one.

He didn't find her joke all that amusing, but it saved him having to fabricate a better excuse for being there. Besides, the wink and little smile she gave him before she continued down the hall to the library was well worth it.

Silence fell over them as she carefully opened the library doors with a bit of magic to prevent them creaking, but as soon as she began scanning the shelves Chat Noir piped up.

"So...you run into the prince yet? Given that this is _his_ castle."

"...Yes. I did actually..the uh, other night."

Her heart almost leapt out of her chest at the thought of seeing the prince again, she couldn't easily hide her feelings for him if Chat Noir was in the room.

"What did you think of him?"

"He's...nice.."

"Nice?"

The awkwardness and hesitation to speak was almost too much to bare, both of them were trying their best not to show any emotion, Chat's heart was racing as he pried for her opinion of him and she was afraid Chat would tease her if he knew how she really felt.

She decided to change the subject, "You know, I think it's getting late and I really don't want anyone to find us in here."

"You're right, we should head home."

Home?! She wasn't going home, she had to get up early for her lessons, but how would she explain to Chat Noir that he couldn't follow her?

"Chat, I-...I'm staying in the village with my family right now..and my father is allergic to cats...you'll have to stay here tonight."

She was surprised how well she could think on her feet, especially when she was so flustered, but she knew Chat would understand. He had to..

Chat only heard the part where she said she was staying in the village and gave her a curt nod.

"Alright, then we can meet here tomorrow night."

She was relieved he didn't make a fuss about it, though she wasn't looking forward to lying to him about where she'd be going.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then, good night chat."

"Good night my lady."


	9. "You are my princess."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a princess isn't a cake walk, but Prince Adrien just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter so things even out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand that these aren't really big enough to be chapters...They're more like instalments, but ya know, I like giving each scene different titles, it's like scene selection on a DVD movie.

That morning, Marinette woke up to being primped and prodded with coaching while still in her nightgown.

Breakfast in bed never sounded so un-relaxing an activity until she was being lectured about the correct way to eat a hard boiled egg and to keep her back arched at all times while seated.

Not to mention how uncomfortable most of the clothes they tried fitting on her were, Alya was nearby trying to offer emotional support, but the dress she was wearing also made her feel a little lightheaded.

"No wonder Chloé is so mean, she's grown up wanting to be a princess and wears dresses like these all the time." Alya laughed as Marinette tried to catch her breath.

After having been released from a rather tight corset Marinette could only really offer a faint smile as she fell back onto her bed.

"Alya, what if I'm not cut out for this princess stuff?"

"Are you kidding? Knowing and following all these rules isn't the only thing this kingdom needs a princess for, we need a new queen, someone with a good heart and honest intentions, Chloé can't be the queen, we need someone like you."

Alya always seemed to know what to say, but her pep-talk was cut short when the very words that made Marinette feel better, were used again by a new visitor to her room.

"Marinette, we need you, get dressed and promptly make your way to the ballroom."

Her heart sank, they needed her? For what? She prayed it wasn't for more reading, she had read enough after breakfast before the dress fittings.

Once they laced her back up in a soft pink gown, she hurried to the ballroom and Alya stood near by in her simpler orange dress.

This, of course, caught the attention of one of the knights standing guard and he soon made his way to stand beside the two girls.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." He warned them, just as Marinette had placed her hand on the door's handle.

Alya quirked a brow and folded her arms over her chest as she looked the knight up and down.

"You're the knight we met at the ball."

He removed his helmet and nodded, surprised that she recognized him, "How did you know? Did you remember the sound of my voice or something?"

"There's a dent in your armor, on your right shoulder."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh at the exchange, but before the knight could respond the ballroom doors were yanked open and Marinette was pulled inside.

"Don't make the prince wait, you need to practice your footwork."

Marinette's face went bright red as she was shoved towards Prince Adrien and he offered her his hand.

Nothing could have prepared her for the rough treatment she received after being proclaimed the future princess, it was almost like they wanted her to give up and go home.

"Are you alright?" Adrien asked since he noticed she seemed a little out of it this morning, as opposed to the way she held her own the day before.

There was really nothing he could do while he wasn't around to see the way she was being treated so he was relying on her to say something if anything was bothering her.

"Yes, I'm fine-sorry your highness.."

"I'd prefer you call me Adrien, it is my name after all and you _are_ my princess."

He meant it to be comforting and take some kind of pressure off her, but instead it flustered her to a point that she could barely move.

"No, no, no, wrong, this is supposed to be a fluid motion, why is she so stiff?"

The dance instructor wasn't the kindest woman she'd ever met, but she was better than the man in charge of manners at the dinner table.

"It's my fault, my hands are cold." Adrien replied in her defense, but for the instructor that was no excuse.

"Adrien, you're needed elsewhere, have the girl practice riding sidesaddle or something."

It seemed they were both to be ushered around with little to no say in the matter, Marinette's day was long and hard, but she still had to meet Chat Noir in the library that night.

How she was going to stay up was one thing, but being able to figure anything out after nodding off while reading about what could have caused the dragon was another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, hope you like the double dose of updates, I really need to get back into writing and I know I owe you guys so much more, but I'm going to try my best to make it up to ya. ;D


	10. The Witch of Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Icy spell has fallen over the kingdom, but the Lucky Bug is no where to be found, who will save the kingdom now?

Physically exhausted, Marinette collapsed onto her bed with a heavy sigh. Did her desire to keep looking for answers about the dragon overpower her will to fight falling asleep?

With a yawn she rolled over and tried to justify her lack of enthusiasm to get back to studying but as she thought of reasons to get back up, she closed her eyes to rest for a second or two and found herself waking up to a dimly lit room.  

It appeared to be early morning, though there were no birds chirping, she had seemingly slept through the night and with a sudden wave a guilt she thought of Chat Noir. 

He must have been worried sick when she didn't come to the library or back home.

As she lazily tried to comb out the tangles in her hair with her fingers, she wandered over to the window and pulled back the drapery.

The day before the maid would have pulled the curtains back and started fussing with her, but today that job remained vacant. 

The thought didn't trouble her long as her gaze fell on a black cat roaming around the gardens outside her window. 

It had to be Chat, there was no reason for it not to be, so with a bit of hesitation, she changed into more suitable clothes and went to join her friend in the garden. 

Somehow she didn't run into anyone asking her where she was going, or why she was out of bed, again something that would have been a cause for concern, but the only thing on her mind was Chat Noir and asking him how he was feeling.

He wouldn't know she knew he could talk, but she was sure she could fake a surprised enough reaction.  

Mentally preparing herself, she called out for him as if he was just a stray and waited for him to appear. "Here kitty, kitty." 

After a while she assumed she must have missed him and he was already gone, but then a black cat rubbed up against her back and crawled into her lap. 

"Awww, how could anyone think something so affectionate could bring them bad luck?" 

The cat purred softly and nuzzled his face in her hand as she gently stroked his silky coat. 

She was expecting him to say something, but the more she waited the longer the silence went on between them.

The only sound was that of her breath and his soft purring.

It made the moment feel like time had frozen still until the anticipation of acting surprised took it's toll and she let out a heavy sigh and bowed her head. 

The cat took notice and moved from her lap, so she laid down on edge of the fountain. 

Even though she had slept she was still rather exhausted, today had not started the way she had thought and now she feared she had let down her dearest friend. 

Depressed she closed her eyes and felt a slight bit of comfort when the cat snuggled up next to her stomach.

"What am I even doing here?" She sighed to herself, "I'm not a princess, I-"

"You look like a princess to me." The cat finally spoke, she knew it was her Chat Noir.

With a gasp she feigned shock and disbelief. "A cat that talks?!" 

A smile found it's way to his face and he gave her a nod. "Yes princess, I'm a magical cat that speaks." 

"I've never heard of such a thing." 

Try as she might he wasn't convinced. 

"Why are you not terrified of me?" 

"Well I don't think black cats are really bad luck-" 

"No, not why don't you believe I'll bring you trouble, why are you not afraid of a talking cat but you don't think you could be a princess?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"A normal girl would have screamed and ran away, you are fearless in the face of a magical creature but you doubt you are special?" 

She had never thought of it quite like that before. 

"You are quite the curious cat." 

"Only because I'm curious about you, why do you question yourself so much?" 

She knew her partner was clever, but she didn't know he could be so genuine.  

"I don't know." She replied. 

He frowned slightly and rubbed up against her face with his head. 

"A friend of mine is brave when she's in danger, but when she's safe she hides, I'm not sure why she does it, but I am still very much in love with her." 

She never expected him to say something like that, confessing his love for her while he didn't know that he was talking to her caused her to wrap her arms around him and hold him close to her chest. 

"I'm sure she loves you too Chat." 

He didn't question why she called him Chat, it seemed a suitable nickname for a cat so he didn't pay it much mind. 

Wiggling out of her embrace, he started to feel an odd attraction to this girl he thought he only barely knew, but now he questioned how much he really loved his lady if this girl could make his heart race the same way.

"We should get you back to your room before the servants realize you're gone." He told her, jumping down from the fountain, his tail swaying back and forth behind him. 

"Yes, You're right, sorry, I guess I shouldn't be walking around without an escort." 

He didn't think that after he spend most of the night longing to see his lady's face that this new girl in the castle would cause him to feel in a such a way. 

Marinette still had the prince on her mind when it came to longing to see someone, but the way she felt walking to her room with Chat by her side felt so natural, nothing about the lack of people in the halls called her attention. It wasn't until a cool breeze came pouring out from beneath the throne room doors that Chat noticed a brisk chill in the air that was unusual for a typical early morning breeze. 

Then laughter rang through the air, followed by the clang of a serving tray as it hit the stone flooring. 

"That's not good enough! I said roast duck not pigeon!" 

Marinette and Chat frozen in place, that wasn't a voice that were familiar with. 

Together they quickly exchanged looks before they ran to the throne room and threw open the doors.  

A witch dressed in white and purple stripes sat on the throne with a maid frantically cleaning up the roasted bird that was now all over the floor.  "Who are you?" The witch sneered as she narrowed her eyes at Marinette. 

"This isn't good." Chat muttered under his breath and glanced to Marinette. 

He wanted to go look for his lady, but he couldn't leave Marinette by herself to look for her. 

Marinette was under the same confliction, but couldn't think of a good enough excuse to excuse herself. 

"Well?" The purple witch asked again, clearly irritated that she had company. "I am the Witch of Winter! This is my kingdom now and so it shall remain. Now bow down to me before I cast you two into an eternal slumber like I did the rest of this pathetic kingdom."   

She couldn't let herself get frozen or fall into a stupor, but if she ran she knew it was more likely to happen. Chat Noir couldn't fight her on his own, but she had to find out what kind of power this other witch really had. 

"I want to duel." She finally replied. 

"A duel?" The witch repeated. "And what makes you think you could win a duel against me?" 

"Well the prince has chosen me as his princess, so this is my future kingdom, so I challenge you to a duel for the kingdom." 

The Witch of Winter quirked a brow and smirked to herself. "Where is this Prince? Is he handsome? I have been looking for someone to rule with." 

"Are you going to fight the princess or not?" Chat hissed. 

Marinette had to think on her feet as she didn't want to let anyone know she was also a witch, but when Chat snapped at the so called "Witch of Winter", the witch raised the broom in her hand and threw a sharp blast of icy wind to knock Chat Noir off his feet and into the wall behind him. 

"I was never a cat person." The Witch of Winter laughed."But I accept your duel."

Marinette nodded and soon noticed the purple gem that looked very familiar, the Witch of Winter had a sliver necklace around her neck, just like the dragon's chains. 

Marinette hadn't seen many other witches, but the way the Witch of Winters eyes glowed with a purple hue, there was no mistaking that this "witch" was possessed by the same dark magic.  

"Chat, I need you to get her necklece.." 

"Ok."

Chat seemed to understand what she was asking of him, her "duel" was a distraction so he could steal the trinket but he was unsure if Marinette could really fight a witch by herself. He knew his lady could, but last time there was an attack Marinette ran away, now that it was a witch and not a dragon, things seemed to be different. 

The Witch of Winter twirled her broom in her hand and stepped down from the throne. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I don't have a weapon...?"

"Ha! Who said this was going to be a fair fight?" With a swish of her broom, the witch sent another strong gust of wind towards them and blew them into the wall behind them. "Is that all? And I thought this would actually be entertaining." 

Gathering up some of the slush that was laying around from the melting snow that now covered the floor, Marinette quietly uttered a spell to refreeze the ball of mush she held in her hand.

A snowball wasn't much, but it was all she could manage discreetly.

It was more of an insult than injury when the Witch of Winter received a snowball to the face. 

It did more to piss her off than anything, but now that she was angry she jumped on her broom and soared towards Marinette. "You really think a mere human could stand up to a powerful witch like me? How ignorant you must be to think you could ever win. I am ten times better than you'll ever be!" 

The two girls struggled on the floor after the Witch of Winter knocked Marinette off her feet and pinned her down.

Marinette didn't care for her personal space being invaded to this extent but intimidation seemed to be more appealing than being punched in the face. 

"This is a waste of my time." The Witch of Winter scoffed as she let go of Marinette and stood up again.

"Chat now!" Marinette shouted, grabbing the witch from behind.

 ** _"What are you doing?!"_**   The Witch screamed, as her broom laid on the ground and her arms were pinned behind her back.

"Taking back my kingdom." replied Marinette as Chat jumped onto  her shoulder and clawed off the necklace that hung around the witch's neck. 

The purple that covered the witch faded to a light blue and the purple color in her eyes faded away just as the chains on the dragon disappeared the necklace was no where to be found. "W-where am I?" 

Marinette let her go as Chat jumped off the witch's shoulder and the Witch of Winter dropped to her knees. 

"I don't understand what happened...where is the man of shadows?" 

"The what?" Chat asked confused. 

The Witch of Winter's demeanor seemed to change drastically after the necklace and or spell was removed. She seemed confused and troubled, clutching her broom close to her chest. 

"There was a man hiding the shadows of my castle, when I tried to fight him he came up behind me and slipped something around my neck. I thought he was going to choke me but now he's gone." 

"You were under a spell." Marinette began but the witch cut her off. 

"I am aware of that, I was aware that something was controlling me, but it felt like I was in a dream, or like I was dreaming, I couldn't get out, I kept seeing him everywhere, around every corner, watching me." 

"So you don't know anything else about this man?" Chat asked. 

The witch shook her head "No, I wish I did, but I really need to get back to my kingdom, I'm sure my people need me, I have to protect them from that monster." 

"What monster?" Marinette knew there questioning her would likely not lead to any real results but if there was something besides the dragon that could attack their kingdom she needed to know about it. 

"There is a terrible dragon that attacked not too long ago, I need to find it." 

Marinette would have pressed her further about the man lurking in the shadows but the worry and concern that shown on the witches face showed her impatience to return home. 

"The spell's affects on your kingdom should have worn off." The witch added. "I know because I'm starting to feel a bit lightheaded. I really must get back, my ice powers only keep me sane for so long. If I don't return my temper will cause a blizzard." 

Marinette nodded and the witch gave her a nervous smile. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused, you seem like you'll make a wonderful queen, I'm sure our kingdoms will do well together if you ever need our assistance." And with that she mounted her broom and flew out one of the tallest windows in the throne room. 

"She's right you know." Chat assured her. "You'll make a wonderful Queen." 


	11. The Knight in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Funny thing is, the Knight doesn't attack at night, but Knight in the evening didn't make for a good title.

With the Witch of Winter out of the way, Chat walked Marinette back to her room. 

For once the feeling of butterflies in his stomach wasn't for his lady. 

The thought was troubling but somewhat welcomed after she jilted him. 

An evil witch attacked the castle and she was no where to be found. 

Marinette had to step up and take her place to save the day. 

As they reached the room where Marinette was staying, he hadn't noticed the lack of conversation between them or that he had been caught staring at her. 

His curious nature and desire to get to know her better didn't alert him to her hinting for him to leave till she spoke. 

"You can go now." She said with a smile. 

"What you don't want me around anymore?" 

"Well I was going to try and take a little nap before they came to get me." 

He didn't really think she wasn't going to let him in her room, but after he sat down to lick the back of his paw and scratch behind his ear with his foot she was gone. 

Being rejected by his lady and now Marinette in such a short time, was starting to mess with his psyche. 

As a prince he had many a thing to do that would begin shortly, it didn't matter that he helped save the kingdom again, this morning was going to remain busy and demand just as much attention as any other day. 

Sometimes he wished he had a few days rest, but after taking a cat nap on a hallway window, he overheard the frantic castle staff searching for the prince. 

He didn't mean to oversleep, but as he stretched, he startled a maid and soon was chased out the window into a tree. 

Life as a cat was slowly becoming just as cumbersome as his life as a prince and once he got back into the castle a small frown remained on his face for most of the day. 

Marinette was relieved that the prince was found and safe, but when she passed him in the hall he looked upset. 

The same frown that was on his face was now on her's and her best friend Alya tried as hard as she could to keep Marinette's spirits up. 

"I just don't get it Alya, he's the prince, shouldn't they care if he's upset?" 

"Marinette, just relax, I'm sure they care-" 

Alya stopped when the two girls came across a knight in purple armor. 

Marinette knew right away that the purple aura that was pouring from the suit was cursed, but Alya took matters into her own hands and shoved Marinette into the nearest door and locked it behind them. 

"What should we do?" Her friend quickly asked and Marinette nodded. "I'll go get some help." 

Alya didn't want to let the future queen climb out a window, but staying where they were wasn't going to be very safe for very long. 

The knight had already started banging down the door, so once Marinette was out of sight she changed into the Lucky Bug and flew up to another window further down the hall. 

She didn't know the room she entered was where Adrien was practicing his swordplay.

"Lucky Bug, What are you doing here?" Adrien asked rather surprised.

"I-uh there's been another attack, a suit of armor is possessed..? I think,..?"

The way that the prince so casually spoke with an enemy to his kingdom was quite alarming to his instructor but he didn't have time to explain, he wanted his lady to get to know him a little better as a prince and right now she needed his help. 

"Show me where." 

She wasn't expecting him to come with her, so she stood frozen for a second in front of him; But once she snapped out of her daze, she nodded and jumped on her broom. 

"Just down this hall." 

At first she thought it was merely a suit, but upon further inspection she noticed the dent in the shoulder and put her arm out in front of Adrien. 

"There's someone inside." 

"Don't worry, I won't hurt them." 

"You what-?" 

The prince seemed full of surprises and charged ahead without hesitation.

He wanted to show off but he also didn't want anyone to get hurt.

She almost felt like she wasn't needed but after the knight pulled out his sword, she noticed every time he swung his next swing was slower.

There was also a pattern to his movements, almost like a puppet, whoever was controlling him, had memorized the same swordplay that Adrien had learned. 

It wasn't the standard swordplay that the knights were taught and whoever it was, they were almost better than the prince. 

It had to be a king or someone who had trained a king and since Adrien's instructor was in the room when she arrived she doubted it could be him.

"My Lady!" Adrien called, though she didn't look to Adrien when she heard his cry.

"Chat?"

Adrien's heart skipped a beat and he had to duck when he missed his parry.  

He forgot she would be looking for a black cat and not him when he asked for her help, but after he ducked she quickly cast a spell to knock the sword from the knight's hand. 

"Get the sword!" She instructed him, as the knight turned his attention to her.

If Adrien could get the sword it would be enough of a distraction for her to craft a cage but trying to find what cursed him would be a bit difficult. 

His armor looked just like the other knights save for the dent in his shoulder plate but as Adrien picked up the sword he noticed something strange on the hilt.

A singular purple gem sat on one side, while the underside of the sword was white. 

"Lucky Bug." He called as he held up the sword. 

It was enough to distract the knight and like clockwork the chandelier overhead transformed into a cage with iron bars that fell from the ceiling with a large clang.

Mounting her broom, she flew past the cage and landed beside Adrien to look at the sword.

The gem was cracked and with a small incantation it looked as good as new. However it was still purple and a purple haze was starting to collect under their feet.

It wasn't until she turned to look back at the prince that she noticed she had began to sink.

"Adrien what's going on--!?" She began but everything sounded muffed.

She wasn't sure why she asked the prince for help, but the way he looked at the sword it was as though he had seen it before.

Once she spoke, she dropped through the floor into what looked like a dungeon, but she couldn't imagine a dungeon that looked like this was in Adrien's castle.

"You're not supposed to be in here." Said a soft voice from what looked like a light purple fairy trapped in a jar. "If he finds you here all hope will be lost for us."

"For us?" She repeated.

The fairy had what looked like butterfly wings and the slender shape of it's body could easily lead someone to assume it was a normal butterfly if they neglected to look closer.

"Who is us?" She asked again as if the creature hadn't heard her.

"All of us, he's gone mad, we need to help him, we need to save him, he needs to find her."

"Find who?"

"The witch of the mountain, he's fallen in love with her and now she's gone, he must find her again to save us."

"Who's the witch of the mountain?"

The fairy jumped when the sound of a heavy wooden door creaked and someone started down the stairs.

Adrien knew the castle like the back of his hand and even though he had to open the door as a human he hurried down the stairs as a cat and called to his lady.

"We shouldn't be down here my lady, where are you?"

"I'm here Chat."

With a sigh of relief he rushed to her side and snuggled up to her leg, wrapping his tail around it as if he was giving her a hug the only way he knew how.

"Come on, lets go." He insisted.

"But I-" As she went to ask the fairy another question, the jar was gone and Chat had started to tug at the bottom of her skirt.  
"Come on."

Whatever questions she still had would have to wait, she left a cursed knight in an iron cage in a hallway and if what Chat and the fairy said was true, she didn't want to be in the dungeon when whoever was staying there arrived.

After dodging a few guards they made it back to the hallway to see Alya sitting on the floor while talking with the knight Nino, who was now sitting in a large metal cage.

"He changed back as soon as you fell through the floor with that sword in your hands." Chat informed her, though if he was there to see it, he wasn't very helpful.

It wasn't until the sword was brought up that she noticed it was gone.

Maybe she dropped it when she fell? Whatever happened to it, it wasn't coming back.

With a heavy sigh she waved her hand and the cage disappeared but for once the possessed puppet wanted to talk about what he knew.

"The king told me to get his sword for him because the prince was missing. So I went to the treasury but the sword wasn't there, when I went back to tell the king, I found that sword just laying in the hallway. When I picked it up a started to feel funny until I guess something happened and then I was in a cage."

The Lucky Bug had never encountered magic quite like this before, there didn't seem to be much of a pattern save for the purple gems.

"Chat what do you think-?" She asked but Chat was gone, she didn't know where but hanging around the castle trying to look for him wasn't safe, so she said her goodbyes to Nino and Alya.

Adrien needed some time alone to think over the events of the day, if things kept up like this he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his secret for much longer.


	12. A Heart Filled with Regret.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A heavy heart can't always be cured by the passing of time.

That night Prince Adrien decided that he didn't want to keep up the act and he went to sit in the library and wait for the Lucky Bug to come looking for answers about the sword. 

Marinette had the same idea and walked quietly through the halls to tell Chat who she really was, she couldn't bare to keep it from him anymore, but when she opened the door she saw the prince sitting by the lit fireplace. 

He didn't turn to look at her, he chose to keep his eyes on the dancing flames. 

It took everything she had to get the courage to close the door behind her and walk over to sit by his side. 

He wasn't too surprised when we saw it was Marinette and without speaking he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. 

"Do you like fireplaces?" He asked. "You know you have your own in your room." 

"I know, but I like to read by a fire better than by candlelight." 

With a small smirk he pecked her cheek before he moved to stand. 

"Adrien, there was another attack today." 

"Yeah I know, a knight-"

"A witch-"

They had both forgotten that for both attacks one of them hadn't been there or "they" weren't the one that was there. 

"You first." Adrien said quickly. 

"Oh-uh, well, I woke up this morning to everyone but a black cat being asleep. I saw it from my window and found it in the garden. I didn't know it was The Lucky Bug's magical talking cat, but when we went looking around we found a witch that had put a spell on the kingdom. She was ordering people around that she had kept awake or something and was sitting on the throne." 

"So what did you do?" 

"I uh, I tried to fight her and the black cat tried to help. It turns out the same person who sent the dragon had sent a dragon to her kingdom too and she felt like she was being followed by a man that hid in the shadows, she attacked your kingdom because of a cursed necklace that was put around her neck by the shadow man." 

"Today once of my knights, Nino, a friend of mine actually; went to get my father's sword because everyone thought I had gone missing when I overslept-"

"Where were you by the way?" 

He wasn't anticipating her interrupting him, but now that she had he went into a bit of a panic. 

"Where was I? Well- I-" 

"Sorry! I didn't mean it stop you- I was just worried about you so when I saw you in the hall and you looked upset I didn't know what had happened and-" 

"That was my father's sword." 

"What?" 

"The sword that possessed my friend Nino, that was the sword my father told him to get. It always looked like that, but he never uses it so I assumed the purple aura was because it had been cursed. But that's why he keeps it in the treasury." 

Marinette remained silent, the new information wasn't adding up, but that was why he left so quickly and why he was going to tell her who he was. 

He didn't have time to keep up the charade, if his father was keeping secrets from him, he needed to be honest with the girl he loved. 

"I don't know why my father would send someone to get the sword when he knows it was cursed. If only we knew who this shadow man was." 

"I also found a fairy in the dungeon." 

"You what?" 

She figured that since the prince wasn't there while she was walking around with Chat, he wouldn't know when she spoke to the fairy in the jar and if Chat had been in the library, she would have told him about how she had to hide who she was that morning while fighting the witch.

"While the kingdom was asleep I followed the cat into the dungeons and he showed me this purple fairy in a jar. It looked like a butterfly and it said something about how the someone had gone mad and he needed to find the witch of the mountains?"

"My mother."  

Adrien's expression drew cold and he turned away from her. 

He knew she was lying to him, he never took her to the dungeons and the only things down there were some old tables and chairs. 

"My mother was known as the Witch from the Mountain's Mouth. Everyone knows the story of when my father slayed the dragon in the witches mountain, but he didn't slay a dragon at all. He said he found an evil witch that had cursed this beautiful woman to be a blue dragon and because he refused to kill it, she cursed his sword. Instead he said he killed the witch and it broke the spell on my mother, but when my father wanted to marry her, the village claimed she was a witch that made the dragon herself just to capture my father's heart. So my father had to prove she wasn't a witch by outlawing witchcraft of any kind and the rumors were put to rest. There was no way to prove she was a witch if witchcraft was punishable death. If anyone questioned it they were shunned, so while I was a kid I didn't know no one talked about witches. It wasn't until the Lucky Bug showed up that I asked my father about it and soon after my mother and father had a fight. She told me the story that my father had been keeping from me, but now I feel like there's even more to it that I don't know." 

Their conversation left more questions than answers swirling around in their heads, but after Marinette lied to him, he wasn't sure he wanted to trust her either. 

"I have to go to bed." He told her. "I hope the Lucky Bug does something soon, my father isn't going to be much help and there is nothing about my mother in any of these books." 

Marinette didn't know why he had drawn so cold to her all of the sudden, but she gave him a small nod.

"Good Night Adrien." 

"Good Night Marinette." 


	13. He's sending me away?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After lying to the prince Marinette is heartbroken and can't understand what she did that would cause him to send her away. He claims it's to keep her safe because of all the attacks that have been happening to the kingdom but Marinette fears the worst.

The next morning after tossing and turning, Marinette awoke to her best friend Alya sitting at the end of her bed with a letter in hand. 

"Marinette, we have to go." 

"What?" She yawned. 

"Your things are all packed, it's not safe here anymore, the prince is having you sent to a village up in the mountains to keep you safe." 

"He what?!?" Marinette shot up from her pillow and crawled over to Alya. 

"No, but I- I'll be fine." She pledged, as if Alya had any say in the matter. 

"Marinette, if he thinks it's too dangerous I think we should go. Lucky Bug can handle it." 

"B-but-" 

How was she going to protect the kingdom as Lucky Bug if she was being sent away? She didn't know how far away this village was but it surely didn't sound less than a days journey. 

Despite her protesting Alya got her to change out of her nightgown and the two girls started towards the carriage that was waiting for them. 

"Adrien is said to be going on a hunting trip with his friend Nino. They left this morning." Alya informed her until she was stopped from entering the carriage. 

"You're not going." The footman told her. 

"What do you mean? I have to go with her!" Alya insisted.

While Alya argued with the footman, Marinette was ushered into the carriage and the door was quickly shut behind her. 

With a crack of a whip the carriage was off and Marinette sat alone with her thoughts. 

This had to be one of the shadow man's evil plots to get her out of the way, as soon as she could get away, she'd go back to the castle. 

The trouble was the doors only opened from the outside and the windows were too small for her to climb through while the carriage was still moving. 

She could try a spell, but how would she explain herself if someone saw her using magic to escape? 

For now she had to wait and while staring out the window watching trees go by was a boring option, it was better than staring at her shoes to pass the time. 

Once she arrived at the village and the carriage stopped she was surprised to see Nino open the carriage door for her. 

"Nino? I thought Alya said-" 

"Adrien told me I was the only knight he trusted with your safety, so here I am my lady." 

She thought it odd that Nino would say something that reminded her of Chat, but after he kissed the back of her hand she gave him a nod and followed him to the Inn where she was supposed to be staying. 

"...Nino.." She started as she looked around at the people in the village. 

"Why is everyone dressed so funny?"

It was true that to Marinette everyone in town was dressed in strange attire and wore masks but to Nino everything looked perfectly ordinary.

"What do you mean?" He replied. "They all look normal to me."

She wasn't sure what to make of it, but something about this village was very odd.

Once shown to her room she took off her cloak and sighed heavy as she fell onto her bed.

It was still nicer than the bed at her parent's house, but after sleeping in her room in the castle this bed felt rather stiff and uncomfortable.

Nino stood just outside her door and she could hear the floors creak every time someone walked down the hall.

Trying to get a good night's rest here would be a miracle, good thing she was going to sneak out right after nightfall.

The only flaw in her plan was when she closed her eyes for a minute or two and actually started to fall asleep, but the sound of her window being pulled open caused her to jump and scream when she saw a figure climb through it.

Unfortunately someone else already had plans for her window and Nino had already been made aware of the this, so when Marinette screamed as her window was pulled open and a figure climbed inside he remained at his post.    

She almost cast a spell on the intruder, until she heard a familiar laugh. "Don't be frightened my lady, it's only me. Do you not like my village?"

For some reason the figure sounded like Chat, but he didn't look like Chat.

He wore a black mask and a long brimmed hat with a green feather. His hair was black and his eyes were green and his clothes looked more like a tailor or messenger than anyone important.

"I'm the black cat you met at the castle, am I not handsome~?" He teased.

"....If I wasn't already promised to the prince I guess I would have to say that you are, but since my heart belongs to the prince I will not say anything relating to the matter."

"Come on, you can't say that he has to know everything that you say or do, it could be our little secret~"

"No! I would never lie to him and for you to insinuate that I would is-"

"Is what?"

He only meant to get the truth out of her, but his teasing resulted in something he wasn't anticipating.

Instead of fighting with him like her tone suggested she broke down crying.

"I've already lied to him and I feel horrible about it! I told him that I saw a fairy in the dungeons and that you took me there."

"Why would you-?"

"I needed to know who the witch of the mountain was."

"But why would you-"

"But now I think he hates me and he sent me away to this village to "keep me safe." But I bet he just wants to get rid of me because he likes the lucky bug better and-"  

"Marinette calm down." Chat interjected, stopping her before he started to get emotional. "He doesn't hate you."

"How do you know?"

"You're just going to have to trust me."

She nodded and tried to dry her eyes but she wasn't expecting Chat to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I love you Chat." She said softly, which he thought was a rather odd thing for her to say, but he kissed the top of her head before he gave her a small smile.

"Don't say things like that or you'll make the prince jealous of a cat."

"You really believe the prince likes me?"

"If he didn't, do you think he would have chosen you as his princess?"

"I don't know." She said with a small frown on her face.

"If I were the prince I wouldn't let a girl like you just disappear."

And with that she smiled and softly pecked his cheek. "Merci, Chat."

"Now, tell me about this fairy you saw."

"Well it was in a jar and-"

"So you did actually see one?"

"Yes."

"And is everyone in the village wearing a mask like me?"

"Yes...."

"That's why he sent you here."

"What?"

"If you saw a fairy and everyone here looks like they're wearing masks that means you're a witch."

"A w-witch?!? I'm not-"

"Of course you are! Only witches can see fairies, see the real appearance of the villagers here and hear talking animals. I knew from the moment you understood me that you had to be a witch, you just didn't know it yet."

"Well I-"

She didn't know what to say, at first she thought he had figured out she was the lucky bug, but it seemed as though he believed she was just a witch that hadn't learned about magic.

Although it was true that both Chat and Prince Adrien seemed to know more about magic than she did, she was still worried he might figure it out and she wasn't sure if she really wanted to be a princess anymore.

With Chat she could live freely in this magical village and she wouldn't have to hide who she was anymore.

"Chat, I have something I need to tell you-"

"You can tell me tomorrow, ok?"

"..Ok."

Chat, or rather Adrien, was already thinking the plan over again in his head.

Did he really love the lucky bug? Sure he had great admiration for her, but Marinette made his heart flutter more than he thought it could when she told him she loved him and in such a short time too.

He had only met her as Chat the day before, but the way she said she loved him felt like she had known him for much longer.

"Uh- I have to go- good night Marinette."

"Good night Chat." She had almost forgotten that she wasn't the lucky bug for a second before he said her real name and she realized that not only had she lied to the prince but she had been lying to Chat about who she was for even longer.

How would she tell him that she was the lucky bug and that now she loved him more than the prince? In all honesty she knew more about Chat than she did Adrien and if the king found out she was a witch she could be shunned by the kingdom just like Adrien's mother was.

"Do you really have to go? Could you not stay here for a little longer?"

As much as he wanted to turn back into a cat and snuggle up beside her, he didn't really know her as well as he'd like to yet.

It still bothered him that she would make up a story just to- as he thought about it more, something wasn't adding up, did Marinette and the lucky bug see the same fairy? There had to be some key that you needed to enter the magical part of the room where the enchanted objects would be visible.

He came through a doorway but his lady went through the floor.

"How did you get in the dungeon anyway?"

"I-uh-fell through the floor."

He knew it, the dungeon must be under a protection spell to keep people from nosing around in whatever magical objects were hidden there.

"Alright, I'll check on you tomorrow then, there's someone I need to talk to that should be in town soon. Good night."

"Good night Chat."


End file.
